Kelp-harvester.



C. L. DONEY.

v KELP HARVESTER.

APPLlcATloN HLED MAR.6.1917.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEE1L @Hmm INVEN'Q @im rleslee Dailey I B# WITNESSES yATTORNEY C. L. DONEY.

KELP HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAII. 6. 1911.

LPatented Aug. 21, 1917.

' Leelon/ey A'rToRN EY WITNESSES ffwfmm,

C. L. DONEY.

KEL? HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED III/III. I. 1'911.

1,2 37 ,31 3. Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

3 SHEETSv-SHEET 3,.

w3 En v 'su lNv-Nfl'onA y Clzarlesleeoweg s Y L ATTQRNEY i Cily 'i NUNITED STATES PATENT oEEIo.

CHARLES I.. noNEY, E CIIULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoE 0E ONE-THIRD ToALEXANDER HENRY MCCAETNEY, or SAN` DIEGO, -cALIEoRNIA KEEP-HARVESTER.

To all 1li/wm t may concern: Be it known that l, CHARLES L. DoNEY, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Chula Vista, in thecounty of San Diegok and State of California, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Kelp-Harvesters, of which the following is aspecification.l

This invention relates to kelp harvesters and it consists in thenovelfeatures hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the characterstated which may be operated in water for harvesting the kelp in amanner to offer minimum resistance and therefore requiring minimum powerfor operating the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus whichwill harvest a maximum quantity of kelp without loss thereof and whichrequires a minimum number of operators during the harvesting.

With these objects in view the harvester comprises a scow having anopening at the intermediate portion thereof and guides at the sidesthereof, Blocks are adjustably mounted inthe guides and a shaft isjournaled in the blocks. Wheels are mounted upon the shaft and carrygatherers and cutting apparatus. Suitable means are provided foroperating the cutting apparatus whereby the kelp as it is cut isdeposited in the gatherers. The gatherers elevate the kelp and depositthe same in chutes from which it may gravitate into the body of the scowor receptacle provided for its reception.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the kelpharvester Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the same cut on thelin'e 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 41 is a similar horizontal view. y

The harvester comp-rises a scow 1 proyvided at a point between its endswith an opening 2. Vertically disposed guides 3 are mounted at the sidesof the said scow andblocks 4: are mounted for movement between the saidguides 3. Jack screws 5 engage the yblocks 1 and are threaded throughnuts 6 which are attached to the fixed parts of the shaft. By turningthe sectional Specification of Letters Patent. y Patnfred Aug, 21, 1917.

Application led March 6, 1917. SeralpNo. 152,678.

said jack screws the blocks 1.1. may be fraised and. loweredbetween theguides A shaft 7 is journaled for rotation in the blocks A; and carriesat its ends radially disposed spokes 8. Inwardly disposed arms 9 varecarried at the outer ends of thespokes 8.'

Concaved gatherers 11 of yforaminous material are connected with thespokes 8. Sprocket wheels 12 are mounted upon the shaft 7 and an engine13 is mounted upon the scow 1. Sprocket wheels 14 are mounted upon theshafty of the engine 13 and sprocket chains are trained around thesprocket wheels 14and `12 and serve as means for transmitting rotarymovement from the shaft of the engine to the shaft 7. Links may be addedto or removed from the chains 15 when the jack screws 5 are operated.

Rings 16 are fixed to the blocks 4f and the said rings include upperarcuate portions 17 and lower waved portions 18.

Knife bars 19 are mounted for movement on the spokes 8 and knife bars 2Oare mountedfor movement along the arms 9. Bell crank levers 21 arepivoted adjacent the adjoiningends of the spokes 8 and arms 9 and thesaid bell crank ylevers are provided with links 22 connected with theknife bars 19 and 20. The bars 19 are provided with extensions whichcarry journaled pulleys 25 which lie at the opposite sides of the rings16. A chute 26 is mounted on one of the blocks 4 and eX- tends in aninclined position over the side edge of the scow 1.

The operation of the harvester is as follows:

The scow 1 may be moved through the water by any suitablemeans andsimultaneously the shaft 7 is rotated from the engine 13 as hereinafterdescribed. As the spokes 8 are carried around the ringsy 16 the rollers25 vat the inner ends of the bars 19 are moved around the said rings.When the pulleys 25 are moving along the upper arcuate portion 17 of therings the bars 19 do not move longitudinally but when the rollers 25move along` the waved portions 18 of the said rings kthe bars 19 aremoved longitudinally whereby they are reciprocated. Inasmuch as thesebars are then below the surface of the water they encounter the kelp andcut the'same. As the'bars 19 reciprocate the bell crank levers 21 areturned 20 are reciprocated and the blades carried by the said barsencounter the kelp and cut the same substantially horizontally. The kelpWhich is thus cut is caught by the gatherers l1 and elevated above thesurface of the Water.` As the gatherers pass over th-e shaft 7 the kelpfalls upon the closed inclined portions 11 and slides down into thechute 26 and over the side of the scoW.

From the foregoing description ltaken in `conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, it will be seen that a kelp harvester of simpleand durable structure is provided and that the same may be economicallyused for efficiently harvesting kelp or other vegetable matter which maygrow below the surface of a body of Water.

Having described the invention what is claimed is l. A harvestercomprising a float, a shaft journaled thereon, means for rotating theshaft, spokes carried by the shaft, knife vbars slidably mounted uponthe spokes, gatherers carried by the spokes and having bottoms inclinedfrom one set of spokes to the other and means for reciprocating theknife bars as the spokes turn about the shaft.

2. A harvester comprising a seoW, a shaft journaled thereon, means forrotating the shaft, spokes carried by the shaft, knife bars mounted formovement along the spokes, means for moving` the knife bars, gatherersconnected with the spokes and a chute adapted to receive the materialfrom the gatherers as the gatherers move over the shaft.

3. In a harvester a scow, blocks movably mounted thereon, a shaftjournaled in the blocks, means for rotating the shaft, spokes carried bythe shaft, knife bars movably mounted -upon the spokes, rings fixed tothe blocks and having upper arcuate portions and lower waved portions,rods vconnecting the knife bars With the rings and having rollersjournaled at the opposite sides of the rings, and gatherers connectedwith the spokes.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

CHARLES L. DONE Y.

Copies .of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by @addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

